Portfolio — 12 August 2026

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry used question time to deliver a comprehensive update on the H5 bird flu outbreak, reporting 236 confirmed or suspected detections nationwide and announcing the imminent rollout of vaccines for priority native bird species.

**Outbreak scale and surveillance**

The Minister told the House that Australia now has 236 confirmed or suspected H5 detections, with 163 in South Australia, 58 in Victoria, 10 in Western Australia, four in New South Wales and one in Queensland [TA-260811-house-bc6125a7db06:s151]. She thanked the Member for Sturt and acknowledged that South Australians are particularly concerned about rising case numbers.

Technical experts are working around the clock to confirm cases, with intensive diagnostic work underway at CSIRO's Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong. The Minister said the arrival of H5 bird flu was not unexpected, that migratory birds cannot be stopped, and that larger wildlife mortalities are anticipated [TA-260811-house-bc6125a7db06:s151].

**Funding and vaccination response**

The government has invested over $113 million to strengthen bird flu responsiveness, including $25 million delivered with states and territories as part of a $2 billion biosecurity funding package [TA-260811-house-bc6125a7db06:s151]. Vaccination has now been added to the response toolkit, with the first bird flu vaccines slated to roll out in the coming days for priority native bird species under a nationally agreed approach guided by scientific advice [TA-260811-house-bc6125a7db06:s151].

**Agricultural and human health risk**

The Minister confirmed no detections in poultry or the broader agricultural sector and said the risk to human health remains low [TA-260811-house-bc6125a7db06:s151]. She urged the public to avoid handling dead birds and to report sightings via birdflu.gov.au.

**Continuity**

Today's update continues the portfolio's focus on safeguarding agricultural productivity through surveillance, investment and biosecurity measures, following the earlier Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases briefing. The portfolio's approach combines intensive surveillance, state-territory coordination, targeted investment and vaccination to contain H5 spread and protect agriculture, fisheries and wildlife.